40 ALR EVIEW Not Far Enough doesn't seem to matter. They are, after Put Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman all, married off-screen. together in an epic Irish-American saga The movie plays with our knowledge and the result is...a buzzard. of the couple. Where the real Nicole is David Nichols reports. only a novice in Hollywood terms, in the movie she is Shannon, a com­ placent, petulant, established young The Gulf War: the skill, the expertise, quality, of Tracy and Hepburn, Bogart lady of the upper classes: daughter of progress the of it all, was once again and Bacall. They're both young and a Protestant land-owning family in occasion for white America to look attractive, not to mention talented. Ireland, 1892. Tom Cruise, back in wonderment. America the The ascension of Tom Cruise from Hollywood's leading leading man, is brave, the most excellent: where did 'handsome top box-office draw' to a poor and even slightly simple young all this magnificence come from? 'talented too' would be worth plotting lad called Patrick. He tills the soil— in itself. The fact, then, that Tom and Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman back-breaking work because the soil is present million-dollar director Ron Nicole don't actually 'get together' for so bad in Ireland—and he is so un­ Howard's version of American any period of time in Far and Away worldly it hurts. By a series of origins in the new movie Far and (they actually reveal their love for ridiculous and vaguely humorous Away: in fact, the movie had the work­ each other in the closing few seconds coincidences Shannon takes Patrick ing title Irish Story which, typically for of the movie: there, I spoilt it for you!) under her wing and the two travel Hollywood, actually meant 'American Story With Irish People'. Cruise and Kidman's characters are from different classes, different religions, different world views; America, the great leveller, puts them on an even footing. But wait..was it America, or was it Love? Heck, tell me the difference! But all of this is not any sort of a sub­ text. Actually, it's a given. Underneath is something which is both more per­ sonal and more revealing of mainstream America. Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman met in a movie: no, literally. They came together in Days of Thunder, the motor- racing film Tom conceived of as an epic follow-up to his role as Ron Kovic in Oliver Stone's rather more severe Born on the Fourth of July. Nicole played his doctor: the movie was rather crass, and the product place­ ment (the little packets of Sweet 'n' Low Tom diabolically pushes up Nicole's leg to illustrate his pursuit of perfection) didn't help at all. Never­ theless if it didn't break box office records, it did get the two together— and yet another fairytale Hollywood romance was born. Who of the American audience of Far and Away would not know about Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman? They have the 'payability', if not the classic ALR :JULY 1992 AIREVIEW 41 together to America, where land is can't help it, he's crazy too. He leaps doing anything about anything'. They free for the taking! off the train and joins the throng: land! might be bemused, they might be an­ tagonistic, but they're portrayed as At the town where the race to grab a Pause for three-quarters of an hour in not acting on either or on any impulse. Boston for the obligatory Tom Cruise plot is about to begin, Patrick reunites Ron Howard appears to be looking with Shannon who is there not only violent sport sequences. Tom seems to around and noticing for a second that with her old beau—a snivelling believe no one will go to see a Tom 'Yes, actually, the land wasn't free for Cruise movie if they cannot see him upper-class cad—but also her parents the taking per se—these people had it who, after their house is destroyed by dice with death in a man-against-man first. There, I said it—but what can I Irish rebels, decide to 'make a fresh sport. Days ofThunder was the need for do about it?' speed. Far and Aivay is boxing. In fact, start'. (Shannon's parents are interest­ Patrick, after being beaten from an ing. Her father confesses to Patrick Do Pat and Shannon get their little early age by his drunken, ugly elder early in the film that he has no par­ plot of land together? Does a horse roll brothers, has invented a new form of ticular wish to live off the peasants' over Patrick and kill him, until his boxing: you wag your head around hard labour and degradation. Unfor­ soul—hovering above his body— and dodge your opponent's blows. tunately, he is too bumbling and love­ hears Shannon cry out that she has No one's ever thought of this before able to explain why. Then he concocts always loved him? Well, you'll have to so, naturally, he's a hit—until he a plan to steal a plot of land which see the film and find out. Far and Away chooses to challenge a massive Italian. people are already slaughtering each is a myth (Tom & Nicole: their Are the Italians more Catholic than the other over: he does not need the land romance) within a myth (white guys: Irish? God obviously thinks so, and but enjoys the adventure of the plan to they rule) within a myth (America: the Pat cops it defraud others of it. Loveably enough, bold and brave) within a myth (Ron he succeeds.) Howard makes great 'family' movies). And when a film makes a Suddenly they are destitute: Pat and 'Land!' The land, America, freedom, is complacent mass media enthusiast Shannon are split up. Pat helps build there for the taking. One split-second like the present writer this upset and a railroad, having abandoned his shot, just before the race for the land irritated, you know it has to be pretty dream of land. Yet he can't let the bad begins, speaks a billion words: a few darn deep. times get him down in such a world of Native Americans, in western clothes, promise: travelling to the next place of look on as the white settlers prepare to DAVID NICHOLS started his menial work he hears a black co-pas­ kill each other in the pursuit of a small journalistic career ten years ago in Vox senger (the only black person in the farm. The shot of the Native Muzpaper and has since progressed film) decrying the craziness of a group Americans is too quick to mean any­ through Smash Hits, TV Guide and of would-be land claim-stakers. Pat thing except: 'Native Americans, not Puncture to Terrorzone. Low Fidelity Anna is passionate about the revolu­ Cuba—last hope of socialism or a prospec­ tion, and makes us a wonderful meal. tive banana republic that even runs out of A few friends drop in and we chat about the new petrol restrictions and bananas? Ray Moynihan was his ozvn the reductions in the working week. man in Havana. We drink warm flat beer and Cuban rum, and overhear Fidel on the Jose is in his late 20s. He comes up to del Medio. Lots of photos of neighbour's TV. It's a speech about us on the street, the day we arrive in Hemingway. We eat rice, black beans, everything, the third this week. It runs Cuba, before we even find a hotel. The chicken and pork. Often they are out for maybe two hours, prime time, no ads. Lido. It's cheapish, there's hot water of bananas. The beer's good, though, most of the time, and a fifth floor view and always available. It comes in of crumbling old Havana. You can brown unlabelled bottles. smell the sea from the balcony. Jos£ is trained in one profession, Anna is 50. We meet in her home in works in another and is actively in­ Jos£ sniffs out a couple of sympathetic Cerro. It's comfortable, but small, in volved in the music scene in his spare foreigners. He tells us he is very keen the better part of Cerro, a big suburb time. Sooner or later he confesses to us to meet and talk. He breaks through in central Havana. We have a letter of that his sympathies lie with the Cuban °ur first night nerves, and we end up introduction from an Australian dissidents. Perhaps he boasts it. I don't sharing a meal at one of Havana's friend of her husband. He is a senior quite know how to react to a Cuban celebrated eating spots, the Bodeguita bureaucrat; she is a senior academic. dissident. ALR: JULY 1992.